Compound motive power engine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' C. KOCH.

COMPOUND MOTIVB POWER ENGINE.

No. 347,619. Patented Aug. 17, 1886.

n. PEYERS. Pnuwum n w. Walhinglun. n. c.

(No Model.) I I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. KOCH.

COMPOUND MOTIVB POWER ENGINE. N0. 347,619. Patented Aug; 17, 1886.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

0. KOCH. COMPOUND MOTIVB POWER ENGINE.

No. 347,619; Patented Aug. 17,1886;

N. PETERS. Phclo-Ulhognbhur. Wishingtnn. n. cy

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES KOCH, OF PARIS, FRANCE, AS SIGNOR TO LE SOOIETE ANONYME DESUSINES FRANCO-BUSSES, OF SAME PLACE.

COMPOUND MOTlVE-POWER ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 347,619, dated August17, 1886.

Application filed December 26, 1884. Serial No. 151,198. (No model.)Patenied in France October 22, 1884, No. 164,951; in Belgium October 23,1e34, No. 66,672; in England October 24, 1884, No. 14,093, and in ItalyNovember 25, 1884, No. 17,610.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES K0011, a citizen of the Republic of France,and a resident the most suitable conditions as to regularity and economywhen the power required to be developed is less than a certain fractionof the maximum power of which they are capable.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby one ormore of the cylinders in the series may be readily cut off from suchseries when and s0-soon as the engine-power requires to be considerablyreduced, and the engine through the remaining cylinder or cylinderscontinues to Work with all the economy and regularity desirable.

In applying the invention, by way of example, to a compound engineactuated by successive expansion of the steam in three cylinders thefollowing arrangement is adopted, which will be understood on referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation ofa three-cylinder engine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of a clutchconnection or coupling.

The first cylinder, A, which receives the steam direct from the boiler,and the second cylinder, B, which takes its steam from the firstcylinder, are arranged so that their pistonrods act upon thedriving-shaft M, one end of which serves to transmit the power and theother end of which-is fitted with a clutch, N, (see the detail view,Fig. 4,) adapted to engage with or be disconnected from a second shaft,M, arranged in line with the main shaft.

The third cylinder, G, acts through its pistonrod upon this second shaftM and receives its steam from the second cylinder, with which itisbrought into connection by the valve or slide a when required for use.When, on the contrary, the third cylinder is not required for use, thisconnection between the second and third cylinders is cut off, and theexhauststeam from the second cylinder passes by the valve or cock Z) andthe pipest t t to the condensers D. When the engine is working at fullpower or under conditions such that its working is regular andeconomical, the two driving-shafts are coupled andthe three cylindersoperate in the usual manner that is to say, the steam passessuccessively through the three cylinders A, B, and C before escaping tothe condenser. The cocks or valves (1, and c are open, the cook orvalve 1) is closed, and the clutch N is in gear. When, on the otherhand, that fraction of the maximum power which it is desired to obtainfrom the engine becomes so small that, by reason of the large size ofthe third cylinder, the action ceases to be regular and economical, thetwo shafts are disconnected by throwing the clutch N out of gear, andcommunication between the second and third cylinders is cut off byclosing the cook or valve a, and opened between the second cylinder andthe condenser by opening the cock or valve 1) and closing the cook orvalve 0. Thereupon the third cylinder, situated on the side remote fromthe transmission of the power, ceases to-act, and the engine continuesto run as a two cylinder engine with a regularity and economy whichwould not have been attainable with the three cylinders under the sameconditons as to steampressure and work to be done. The economy effectedby the adoption of this arrangement is for the engine above describedasan example, about thirty per centum when working at about one-fifth (g)of its maximum power, under which conditions the distribution of thework over the several pistons still remains normal.

It is evident that the above arrangement is applicable to all engines oftriple, quadruple, or multiple expansion of whatever type. It

is especially valuable for thosc-such as marine engines and certainworkshop-engineswhich are frequently required to develop powers farbelow their maximum capacity.

What is desired to be claimed is- 1. The combination of the cylindersand condenser of a compound engine and a divided crank-shaft with aclutch for said divided shaft, and valves for opening and closing thecommunication between two or more said cylinders and the condenser,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of two or more cylinders

